The Best Gift
by Spades And Swords
Summary: Loki's birthday has arrived, and the young prince is eager to enjoy his day. But amid the perfect celebration,a problem surges: His brother Thor has gone missing.


**_All Charcacters belong to Marvel_**

* * *

The morning dawned with a golden-colored sky, beautiful for the occasion. The whole palace, from the inside to the outside, was adorned with several green ribbons and other fancy ornaments that decorated every wall, every column and every door. The best candles, made from aromatic waxes, were lit and colocated on the candelabras hanging from the roof.

The bustle of the servants and cooks inside the kitchen competed in intensity with that of the soldiers in war, while the food they prepared was being placed on the long table of the hall ,with a lot caution, following the rules of etiquette Queen Frigga had indicated.

But all that fuzz was no trivial, of course, for it was Loki's birthday

The youngest prince of Asgard was turning seven years old; the first seven years of his immortal existence. The little prince was wearing elegant but comfortable formal clothes, which consisted in black pants and a black jacket, with light shades of green on his shoulders, knees and elbows. His mother had also combed his hair back, giving him a quite presentable look.

"My son, a real prince… " was all his father said to him when Loki went to present himself before Odin , in the throne room. But the boy's stance in that place was brief, for Odin soon had to re-address the legal and political affairs of the kingdom, which never stopped, not even on Loki's birthday. His father dismissed him with distracted wave of his hand, promising that he would see him again once the celebration had started.

With his mother also busy in checking the last details of the celebration, Loki decided to walk around the palace alone. All the maids and servants greeted him with the finest of compliments and flatteries, although Loki felt some of them were mere cold and studied formalities

However, the unusual attention he was receiving, whether it was honest or not, was still well received.

When Loki arrived to the hall where the feast would take place, his stomach gave a little growl as he admired the feast that had been prepared especially and only for him ... Oh, and for the other guests, of course:

There were candied apples red as rubies and shinning as diamonds placed on a silver platters in the middle of the table; sweet pastries filled with jam and sweet cream, fine chocolates sculpted in beautiful figures, caramel-coated cakes, baked potatoes bathed with sour and spicy sauce, aged wine prepared with the sweetest of grapes for the adults to drink, while there was flavored water for children.

A delicacy worthy of his birthday, Loki approved with a smile.

Thor would certainly be equally or even more amazed than him...

Loki's eyes hesitated for a moment, and the smile on his lips trembled. Now that he thought about it, he had not seen his older brother during the whole morning.

Thor hadn't been in the usual company of Fandral and the rest of his friends either. Loki didn't even remember having seeing him with Sif (who Loki wouldn't have invited to his birthday if that choice was up to him)

Where could possibly his big brother be?, Loki asked to himself, frowning slightly.

Loki spent several minutes wondering about the whereabouts of his brother. Thor probably was at the training fields, attempting to lift one of those heavy swords with which the soldiers sparred. Or maybe he had gone to the royal gardens, to pretend he was a brave explorer as he climbed up the trees. Or probably he was with his father, telling him how once he grew up, he would be a strong king that would annihilate all the enemies of Asgard.

In most of those occasions, Loki was the loyal accomplice of Thor. They usually were together all the time, whether they were happy and laughing or sad and crying. Therefore, Thor's absence felt quite bizarre to Loki, though it was not entirely unpleasant.

Occasionally, Loki had wished for a moment of peace and tranquility just for himself, free from the rough games of his big brother, and that moment had finally arrived.

And what better day for that than his birthday!

Loki dispelled his doubts with shrug. He would see his impulsive big brother later, when the celebration had initiated.

It was nothing to be alarmed of. Not that Thor had forgotten his birthday ... as he had done last year

"Your gift better be good this year, Thor" had said Loki, half serious and half joking, to his brother last night, as the two settled into their bunk bed, with Thor sleeping in the top bed and Loki in the bottom bed. "It must be the best gift out of all, to compensate the way you forgot my birthday last year. Did you listen well, brother?"

The only answer that Loki had received from Thor was a loud, sleeping snort.

As usual, it seemed, Thor hadn't heard anything of what Loki had said.

The again, had …._anyone_….Thor ever listened to him?

That held no importance; for now, Loki had to find a way to kill time alone. Perhaps with a little mischief, such as changing Sif's glass of water for one of wine, or loosen the legs of Hogun's chair.

Both of them were very good options, and unable to choose one, Loki ended up doing both.

* * *

An hour passed before the celebration was officially started , and it began with Loki's favorite part: the delivering of the gifts.

The gifts were generous and impressive in every way. Even Sif had given Loki a present far from negligible, although the proud boy only thanked the girl with a forced smile , which Sif (whose white dress was stained with drops of wine) returned in the same way.

From his mother, Loki received a book of magic . The spells it held were simple and harmless, mostly illusions used to entertain children. Odin's disapproving gaze he directed to Frigga passed fortunately unnoticed to Loki, and the mighty king of Asgard mitigated his anger with a snort he disguised as cough. Odin, in turn, gave Loki a gift he described as unique, though the young prince found it rather disappointing:

A speech.

Sure, Loki appreciated the gesture, and the speech in general was not so bad, but ...

Well, it wasn't the first time his father disappointed him.

At least ,the great gift from his mother made up for Odin's weak gift.

The rest of the gifts were toys, clothes, books of tales and stories, candies and paintings Loki was very pleased with his gifts.

However, in the vast mountain of gifts, there was a little gap unfilled. A small space that Loki could not ignore.

The gift of Thor, and Thor himself, were absent.

"Don't worry, little one. Thor will arrive soon" Frigga comforted her son with a gentle pat on the head.

"That irresponsible boy! Forgetting Loki's birthday twice in a row…." Odin added, a little angry.

Loki felt a twinge of sadness upon hearing that comment. Odin soon realized his mistake, and smiled at his younger son, assuring everything would be all right. Loki smiled slightly, and managed to recover some encouragement when his father finally announced it was time for the feast.

That was a good thing, Loki thought, because there was no possible way Thor would miss the feast.

But despite Loki's hopes, Thor didn't arrive.

* * *

Two hours after the start of the feast passed.

Frigga had left the hall, accompanied by two of her maidens. His mother hadn't said anything, but Loki knew his mother had left to look for Thor.

Odin was also starting to get a little concerned, with a forgotten glass of wine in his hand as he stared into the distance.

The rest of the guests were pleasantly enjoying the food , completely ignorant of the situation.

Loki became angry and upset about how the irresponsibility of Thor had caused his mother to leave and his father to become distracted towards him. That behavior was common, and Loki had learned to accept it on any other occasion, but...

Not today. It was** HIS** birthday!

Loki growled and roughly grabbed one of the sugar -coated apples, giving it a fierce bite. He wouldn't allow Thor to ruin his day again.

He gave a few more bites before leaving it again on his plate. Despite the sweetness of the dessert, for Loki it tasted as bitter as the wax of the candles

For some reason he could not fully understand, he had lost his appetite. And each time he tried to swallow, he felt a pain in his throat.

As if he had a knot of tears.

* * *

Three long hours passed.

The sky was now brightly orange, and covered Asgard like a blanket.

The feast had been suspended and forgotten, and the magic shows and games prepared for the children had been canceled. Odin made no longer any effort to hide his despair, and ordered everyone to search for Thor around the palace.

Meanwhile, Loki remained in shock. He froze, standing in the hallway, watching how his celebration was shattered with the sole purpose of giving way to the search of his brother.

Frigga returned a few moments later, calm but with her eyes shining with contained tears. She comforted Loki and took him to his room, promising that there was nothing to worry about. She gave Loki a small hug before leaving again , to return to Odin's side.

Loki said nothing and remained quiet, all alone in his room.

Deep inside, he knew that nothing would be all right. At least not for him, not after his stupid brother had ruined his birthday ... again. The anger he felt gave his face a crimson tone, almost scarlet. His clenched his hands into little fists and hit the wall with them. He then sat on his bed, feeling both sad and furious.

Thor was a complete fool, and thanks to him, his birthday, the only day of the year in which Loki had the blind , tiny hope of receiving at least some attention from others , had been destroyed.

Like a sand castle against a huge wave.

Attempting to control his frustration, Loki started to read the magic book he had recieved from him mother.

In that instant, Loki recalled he hadn't made his birthday wish yet.

" I wish ... " withered the boy, angrily and with tears of rage running down his cheeks " ... That Thor would never come back again! "

* * *

Four days passed.

And just as Loki had wished , Thor hadn't return. There was not even the slightest news of his whereabouts. Odin, after consulting Heimdall, had embarked on a quest for the search of his son through the territories of Asgard, accompanied by his best and most experienced men.

Frigga remained in the palace, together with his dear little Loki, who couldn't help feeling extremely guilty. The night of the fourth day, the boy suddenly burst out in tears, as Frigga held him in her arms, hugging him tightly in a comforting embrace.

Loki couldn't stop repeating that everything was his fault.

Frigga was shocked by both the confession and intensity of the grief of his little son, and she asked him sweetly what did he mean by that.

When his mother's question reached his ears, Loki felt even more sad and ashamed.

"I-I wished Thor… would never come back again. That was my birthday wish" Loki said, choking in his own tears "But I didn't mean it ! I only said that because I was angry. But I ... I don't want Thor to be gone forever. He's my brother! He's my big brother... and I miss him! "

Unable to mutter a single word more, Loki allowed himself to cry as he had never done before, while his mother consoled him with sweet words as she held him even tighter. Frigga tried to explain to Loki that he was totally innocent, and how he could never blame himself for Thor's disappearance.

But Loki found more comfort in the silence of her love than he did in her words.

* * *

Then, the fifth day came.

The morning was still young, while the sky was blue and cloudless.

And, at the gates of the palace, Odin finally returned, together with his soldiers. In his arms, still and almost looking lifeless, he was carrying Thor.

The boy's clothes were torn, his skin full of scratches and superficial wounds. His hair, normally blond and shinny, looked dull and dirty.

The news of the arrival of the King and the Prince spread around the palace faster than a spark of fire on a sheet of paper

Healers immediately surrounded Odin and his men, carrying healing stones and medical infusions of herbs, ready to attend their wounds.

Frigga made her way through the healers and the curious servants, and emotionally but carefully hugged his husband and their eldest son.

"We found him in the South Mountains" Odin said to his wife, his voice sounding hoarse and tired, but also relieved "I ignore what he was doing or how he got there. But that is of no importance. The important thing is that he is alive, and the throne of Asgard is still assured"

Frigga nodded, putting a hand on Thor's cheek and watching him with a mix of relief and concern.

Sif and the rest of Thor's friends watched from afar, trying fiercely to get pass the guard that didn't allow them to go any closer.

And, looking from a considerable distance and ignored by everyone as usual, was the second prince of Asgard, now seven years and five days old, too embarrassed to approach his brother, and yet, very happy to not to smile.

* * *

Thor was taken to the healing hall. He was battered and exhausted, but his life was not in danger. For someone so young, he was really strong.

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Loki managed to slip into the room where his brother was , without anyone noticing. Thor was deeply asleep, but his eyes opened just at the moment Loki stepped inside the room.

Loki stopped as he saw the sky blue eyes of his brother fixed upon him.

Neither said a word.

The beating of their hearts were the only sound that came out of their bodies

Loki bit his lower lip, and when he gathered enough courage to speak, Thor stretched one of his hands towards him. When he opened it, Loki could see a beautiful green gem resting in Thor's palm.

A gem...

_...So rare that it existence has been considered a myth. Some great scholars think it existence may be only possible in the distant South Mountains of Asgard ...  
_  
... A gem which Loki had told Thor about, a couple of weeks ago, while Loki was reading a book of precious stones.

Loki had mentionated how much he would like to have one,but Thor had only nodded absently in response. Therefore, Loki assumed his brother hadn't paid him any attention.

But Thor did pay attention to Loki.

He always had.

And as much as his pride was ordering him to stop, Loki couldn't retain his tears from escaping his eyes , just to silently get lost in his lips and chin.

"It's your gift, little brother " Thor muttered, smiling and looking at Loki with nothing more than immense love " I hope that ... it is the best of all gifts…And I also hope ... you can forgive me for ruining your birthday again"

* * *

**_Thanks for reading!_**


End file.
